social intelligence

Examples of social intelligence in the following topics:

• Defining Intelligence

  • Since the article, research has found g to be highly correlated with many important social outcomes and the single best predictor of successful job performance.
  • An early theory of multiple intelligence is attributed to Edward Thorndike, who in 1920 theorized three types of intelligence: social, mechanical, and abstract.
  • Thorndike defined social intelligence as the ability to manage and understand people.
  • He focused on behavior rather than consciousness in his research; as such, his studies constituted the beginning of investigations related to social intelligence.
  • Both emotional intelligence and social intelligence have been positively associated with good leadership skills, good interpersonal skills, positive outcomes in classroom situations, and better functioning in the world.

• Controversies in Intelligence and Standardized Testing

  • Intelligence tests (such as IQ tests) have always been controversial; critics claim that they measure factors other than intelligence.
  • Another criticism lies in the use of intelligence and standardized tests as predictive measures for social outcomes.
  • Researchers have learned that IQ and general intelligence (g) correlate with some social outcomes, such as lower IQs being linked to incarceration and higher IQs being linked to job success and wealth.
  • The controversy surrounding using intelligence and standardized tests as predictive measures for social outcomes is, at its core, an ethical one.
  • Questions of bias raise similar questions to the questions around whether intelligence tests should be used to predict social outcomes.

• Group Differences in Intelligence

  • The variance of intelligence scores among individual human beings can be extrapolated to larger population differences in general intelligence and mental capacity.
  • The study of group differences in intelligence is very controversial as it attempts to separate and rank human groups based on divisive social constructs such as race, ethnicity, and gender.
  • Second, these differences in average cognitive ability between groups such as races are caused almost entirely by social and environmental factors.
  • Fourth, both ‘race' and ‘intelligence' are human-conceived social constructs which would render any scientific finding using them less meaningful.
  • Once again, none of these factors determines intelligence alone.

• Genetic Basis of Intelligence and Learning

  • Although environment also plays an important role, genetics influence human intelligence and our capacity to learn in many ways.
  • One of the most extensively studied behavioral traits is intelligence.
  • There has been significant controversy in the academic community about the heritability of IQ, or Intelligence Quotient, which seeks to determine to what extent an individual's IQ level is influenced by genetics.
  • Recent research shows that under normal circumstances, intelligence involves multiple genes; however certain single-gene genetic disorders can severely affect intelligence.
  • It looks at what environmental, emotional and social situations are best in order for new information to be retained and stored in the brain via the linking of neurons, rather than allowing the dendrites to be reabsorbed and the information to be lost.

• Theories of Multiple Intelligence

  • Theories of multiple intelligence contend that intelligence cannot be measured by a single factor.
  • Today, the most widely accepted theory of intelligence is the "three stratum theory," which recognizes that there are three different levels of intelligence, all governed by the top level, g, or general intelligence factor.
  • Gardner identified eight specific intelligences and two additional tentative ones:
  • In 1986, Robert Sternberg proposed a Triarchic Theory of intelligence.
  • If a savant such as Peek was measured by Gardner's multiple intelligence theory, he would be considered to be very gifted in a subtype of intelligence, such as linguistics.

• History of Intelligence Testing

  • Intelligence testing has evolved over time as researchers continually seek the best method for measuring intelligence.
  • Our concept of intelligence has evolved over time, and intelligence tests  have evolved along with it.
  • This term was later used in 1905 by Alfred Binet and Theodore Simon, who published the first modern intelligence test, the Binet-Simon intelligence scale.
  • In 1939, David Wechsler published the first intelligence test explicitly designed for an adult population, known as the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale, or WAIS.
  • Cattell created the Culture-Fair Intelligence Test.

• Gene-Environment Correlations: Nature or Nurture?

  • Genetic expression can be influenced by various social factors, as well as environmental factors, from light and temperature to exposure to chemicals.
  • Our genetic destiny is not necessarily written in stone; it can be influenced by several factors, such as social factors, as well as environmental influences among which we live, including anything from light and temperature to exposure to chemicals.
  • For example, an intelligent parent is likely to create a home environment rich in educational materials and experience.
  • Since intelligence is moderately heritable, it can be argued that intelligence in the child is inherited rather than a factor of the home environment created by the parents.
  • Twins raised apart tend to be similar in intelligence and, in some cases, life events and circumstance, when studied years later, even when raised separately.

• Learning Disabilities and Special Education

  • They must also cause problems in the person's social, academic, or work life.
  • Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by limitations in language and social skills.
  • Although many children with ASD display normal intelligence, they may require special support due to other symptoms of the disorder.
  • Dyslexia is characterized by difficulty with learning to read or write fluently and with accurate comprehension, despite normal intelligence.
  • Although many children with ASD display normal intelligence, they often require special support due to other symptoms of the disorder.

• Cognitive Development in Adolescence

  • In adolescence, changes in the brain interact with experience, knowledge, and social demands and produce rapid cognitive growth.
  • The information-processing perspective derives from the study of artificial intelligence and explains cognitive development in terms of the growth of specific components of the overall process of thinking.
  • Metacognition is relevant in social cognition and results in increased introspection, self-consciousness, and intellectualization.
  • Wisdom is not the same as intelligence, and adolescents do not improve substantially on IQ tests since their scores are relative to others in their age group, as everyone matures at approximately the same rate.
  • However, adolescents seem to give more weight to rewards, particularly social rewards, than do adults.

• Genetic and Environmental Impacts on Intelligence

  • Human intelligence is shaped by both internal genetic factors and external environmental circumstances.
  • There is much debate among researchers and scientists over which influence, genetics or environment, has the largest role in determining overall intelligence, because both have been scientifically established as having a significant impact on intelligence.
  • As mentioned, under normal circumstances intelligence involves multiple genes.
  • However, certain single-gene genetic disorders can severely affect intelligence.
  • Many different environmental influences have been found to shape intelligence.